


On a Tear

by Sparklyfairymira (myonetruelove)



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - 1920s, Bodyswap, Chopped: The 100 Fanfic Challenge, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, F/M, First Kiss, M/M, Meet-Ugly, Multi, Polyamory, competing businesses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:40:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24988435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myonetruelove/pseuds/Sparklyfairymira
Summary: Raven Reyes doesn't get along with John and Emori Murphy - the owners of the only other speakeasy in Arkadia. What happens when her world is turned upside down and she finds herself inside Emori's body?
Relationships: Bellamy Blake/Clarke Griffin, Emori/John Murphy/Raven Reyes, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Monty Green/Nathan Miller
Comments: 8
Kudos: 29
Collections: Chopped 3.0 Round 1





	On a Tear

**Author's Note:**

> This is (obviously) for round 1 of the Chopped challenge round 3. The theme for this round was Historical and I chose the 1920s, because why wouldn't I? The tropes used are body swap, competing businesses, first kiss, and meet ugly. 
> 
> Emori/Murphy/Raven are my OT3 on this show. I love them so much and now I can't seem to stop writing them. Hopefully, you will enjoy this little story that I've spun using the guidelines for this round. Kudos and comments are what I live off of so please feel free to drop a line and let me know what you think! The rating is for language, insinuation, and a very small situation. Nothing graphic - promise!
> 
> Voting for this round can be found: (will https://chopped100challenge.tumblr.com/post/622861152617136128/voting-for-chopped-30-round-1-is-officially-open

The year was 1924 and America was a dull place to live. Raven thanked her stars every day that she chose to move to Arkadia, a town set into the mountains that more often than not followed their own laws over those of America. It was a town unlike any other that Raven had ever been to. She’d arrived two years prior with her tail between her legs after her childhood sweetheart Finn had left her at the altar, not ready to tie his life to hers permanently. She’d been heartbroken so when her friend Clarke who she’d met at boarding school sent her a letter begging her to come to Arkadia there had been nothing holding her back.

She’d arrived at Griffin Manor with one bag holding all of her possessions and no idea what she would do with her life. Clarke had been a Griffin when they’d met, but she’d married Bellamy Blake when she was 18. Following the death of her parents, they’d moved into Griffin Manor and turned it into a boarding house. When Raven had moved into her room the only other boarder had been Bellamy’s friend and local police officer Nathan Miller, but no one called him Nathan—except his boyfriend Monty. When Raven had seen the two kiss out in public she had been shocked, but proud to live in a town that accepted it without comment. Arkadia was an accepting place for those that didn’t want to live by society’s standards. 

Now, almost two years later most of the rooms in Griffin Manor were full. Monty had moved in with Miller, the pair deciding that they did not want a place of their own. Instead, they chose to stay with their friends. Monty’s best friend Jasper now had a room there as did two of the school teachers Maya and Harper. This left just enough room for the Blakes, which now included the orphan child, Madi, that they had adopted, and the child that Clarke was currently pregnant with. 

Tonight marked the one month anniversary of the speakeasy that Raven had built in the basement of the manor. She’d come up with the idea after she’d wandered around aimlessly for her first year in Arkadia, finding odd jobs around town. She’d woken up one day knowing what she wanted to do, but convincing Clarke and Bellamy had taken longer. It wasn’t that they didn’t think that it was a good idea, but Bellamy’s friend Murphy and his wife Emori ran a speakeasy out of their brothel and they didn’t want to impinge on their business. Raven knew that what she had planned wouldn’t be anything like what they had going. She wanted a classy place, a place where men and women alike could go to let loose and enjoy themselves. Not a place surrounded by women selling their bodies. She knew better than to judge what those women had to do to survive, but she could judge the Murphys all she wanted. 

She’d never actually met them, choosing to leave the house when they came to visit and never going with the Blakes to visit their _establishment_. Raven’s mother had worked at a brothel when she’d been growing up and she knew that it was because of this that she didn’t want anything to do with the owners. For all she knew, they could have been the nicest of people, but she didn’t want that in her life so she chose to not meet them. 

It hadn’t taken her long to convince Clarke that her idea was brilliant, especially when she’d shown her the plans she had for hiding the speakeasy and the booze if they were ever raided by Federal agents. Between the two of them, they had been able to wear Bellamy down and he’d eventually agreed. Monty and Jasper had been making moonshine long before Prohibition had started and Jasper supplied the Murphys with their booze, a cheap and strong version that their patrons loved. Raven had approached Monty, requesting a different type of moonshine. She was looking for something that tasted _good_ and that came in multiple flavors but was just as strong. Monty had come through and then some. Word of mouth spread about the moonshine and the atmosphere of Birdie’s, as she’d named the speakeasy. They were packed every night of the week except Sundays, the one day that she took off. 

Raven ran her palms down her dress, flattening any wrinkles as she readied herself to step out onto the stage. _She_ was the main draw to this place. Every night she would go out onto the stage and sing, her sultry voice lulling those in the crowds and she looked _damned_ good while she did it. She’d never been one for fashions, usually running around in pants and getting dirty looks from those in the big city that she’d lived in before moving to Arkadia. But pants hid the brace that she’d designed following an accident when she’d been hit by an automobile. Her leg pained her almost every day, but she knew how to live with it. The damage had left her unable to walk on her own, but with the brace, she had been able to walk with a limp. Now after five years of using the brace, her limp was mostly undetectable. But that didn’t mean she wanted others to see it or know about it.

The dress that she wore today was white, covered in beads that fell to the ground even with the small heels that she wore. A slit on the right side revealed her leg to mid-thigh when she moved but left her injured left leg completely covered. The dress was snug and hugged her body, something that would’ve been frowned upon in any place besides Arkadia. There was a hint of cleavage and the back dipped low, leaving most of her back bare. Bellamy, whose mother had been a seamstress, helped Raven make and design all of her dresses. 

She took a deep breath before walking out onto the darkened stage, eyes falling shut as the band began to play. She began singing softly, her voice growing louder as the lights began to rise. When her eyes opened she scanned the crowd and when she smiled it was flirtatious—all a part of her act. No one could ever say that Raven didn’t know how to put on a show. A few songs later and her set was over. The band continued to play as she stepped off the stage, heading toward the bar where Bellamy and Clarke stood talking with another couple.

“Amazing as always, Raven.” Clarke grinned at her friend as she rubbed a hand over her enlarged belly. She was nearing the end of her pregnancy and Raven could read the tiredness in her eyes.

“Thank you, but shouldn’t you be in bed? You are after all growing a human being inside of you.” Raven lifted her hand to the bartender and within seconds she has a glass of their peach moonshine (her favorite) sitting in front of her. She turned to the other couple. “I don’t know you.”

“Probably because you avoid us like we’re parasites.” The man grinned, but it looked more like a snarl than a smile.

Bellamy sighed as he gestured to the pair. “This is John and Emori Murphy.”

“Murphy. Do _not_ call me John.” Murphy leaned against the bar as he took a long drink. “Bellamy, you’ve got to stop introducing me by my first name. You know I hate it.”

“Why do you think I do it?” Bellamy grinned as he wrapped an arm around Clarke. “Well, if you’ll excuse us I need to get Clarke to bed.”

“Yeah, I don’t want to hear about what you guys do in bed, thanks.” Murphy snarked as he turned his attention back to Raven. “You’d probably fit in at the brothel very well with that dress.”

Bellamy opened his mouth to speak but shut it when Clarke gave a quick shake of her head as she pulled him away. He sent Raven an apologetic look as he followed her.

Raven just smiled, though it was a little forced. “I wouldn’t be caught dead in a whore house, thanks.” 

“You really think that you’re better than us, don’t you?” Murphy reached out to stop Raven when she tried to walk away. “You’re no better than we are. You’re up there selling yourself along with the booze. You’re no different than a whore.”

Raven didn’t even think about it as her hand shot out and slapped across his face, the sound resonating through the room. If it wasn’t for the music still being played, Raven knew that they would’ve drawn even more attention than they already had. 

“John!” Emori hissed as she yanked at his arm. 

“Well, at least I’m not _profiting_ off of women who are just doing what they have to do to survive,” Raven spit out as she leaned into Murphy’s space. 

“Hey, we all have to make a living, right?” Murphy didn’t even flinch as he smirked at her.

Raven was pissed. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as she took a step back. “I think that the two of us should leave. NOW.”

“Bellamy invited us to come. We’ll leave when we’re good and ready.” Murphy raised his hand to the bartender, requesting another drink. “Have to enjoy this _fancy_ tasting moonshine that you guys serve here.”

Raven glanced over her shoulder, waving to Miller. “Miller, I need you to escort the Murphys out please.”

Miller glanced between Raven and Murphy, eyebrows raised. “Are you sure that’s what you want, Raven?”

Raven bit down on her anger before giving Miller a tight smile and a nod. “I’m sure that I want them out of here before I end up causing a scene.”

Miller stood there looking at her for a moment before shrugging. “C’mon, Murphy. Emori. You heard the lady, it’s time to leave.”

“I’m not ready to leave.” Murphy tossed back his drink, draining it down at once. “I haven’t even paid yet.”

“Your money is no good here. Now, get the fuck out.” Raven’s eyes never left Murphy.

“John, let’s just go.” Emori tugged on his arm, trying to get him to leave.

Murphy yanked his arm out of her hand. “I’ll leave when I’m good and ready.”

Miller glanced at Raven once more before taking hold of Murphy and forcefully leading him toward the door. “Sorry, Murph.”

“Miller, you don’t need to do this,” Emori followed behind them. “I can get him to leave.”

“I don’t think you can get him to leave before Raven blows and trust me he doesn’t want to be here when that happens.” Miller opened the secret door that opened up into the boarding house. “Just get him out of here, please.”

When Murphy tried to head back into the speakeasy, Emori grabbed his arm and shook her head. “No, John. We’re not doing this. It’s time to go home.”

Murphy just looked at her for a moment before nodding, looking over his shoulder to Raven again with a smirk firmly on his lips as he lifted to fingers to salute her. Then they were gone and Raven let out a sigh of relief. She’d known that she’d had the right idea with avoiding them at all costs. She couldn’t stand them.

* * *

For the next several months, it seemed like the Murphys were purposefully seeking her out. They were everywhere. They’d show up at the boarding house with no notice. They were at the restaurant where she was having her lunch. The store when she was getting material for dresses. Every single meeting ended up with Raven getting into a fight with either Murphy or Emori, sometimes both of them. Originally she’d had no issue with Emori—beside her aversion to how she made her made. But upon their second meeting, she’d laid into Raven about how she was talking to Murphy. Since then there hadn’t been a nice word exchanged between the three of them.

Their friends attempted to play peacemakers but to no avail. They fought like cats and dogs. Some days it was just sniping at one another in passing and others it was full-blown screaming matches—though it was usually Raven who was during the screaming. Those were the hardest for their friends to break up.

Now, Raven heard Murphy’s voice all the way from her room on the second floor and she was tempted to not leave her room, but it was Bellamy’s birthday and they were hosting a dinner for him at the manor. She’d promised to be on her best behavior. Now she just hoped that could keep that promise. She was already dressed for the speakeasy that night as she would have to leave straight from the dinner to perform. Tonight her dress was a flashy red, cut like the others. Her leg was giving her more pain today than usual and she knew that it was likely to make her easier to anger. But she was going to try her best for Bellamy and Clarke.

She left her room and headed for the stairs, finding Murphy, Emori, Miller, Bellamy, and Clarke, who was holding baby Jake, standing in the foyer at the bottom of the stairs. She took a deep breath, clenching at the banister with her right hand as she forced herself to walk down the stairs slowly and to not limp. It was taking all of her focus so she almost missed Murphy and Emori’s eyes on her. She couldn’t read the look there, but something seemed different tonight.

Raven shook it off as she reached the bottom of the stairs, greeting everyone with a nod before heading toward the dining room where she knew the others were waiting. She needed to sit down as soon as possible. 

“What? You can’t even say hello?” Murphy called from behind her.

“That is _not_ behaving, Murph,” Bellamy hissed.

Raven chose to ignore Murphy’s words and continued to the dining room, collapsing into the closest chair when she knew that they could no longer see her. She smiled at Monty, Jasper, Maya, Harper, and Madi who were already seated at the table. The others filed into the room and began taking seats and for some unknown reason, Emori and Murphy sat on each side of her.

Raven bit back her sigh as she reminded herself that had promised to be good. It was fine. She could get through one dinner without speaking to either of them because she was sure that the only way not to fight with them would be if she didn’t speak to them. She piled her plate high with food and started eating, ignoring the conversation going on around her.

“What’s wrong, Raven? Cat got your tongue?” Murphy whispered as he leaned over to grab a roll from where they sat in front of her.

Raven bit down on her tongue to keep herself from responding before continuing to eat. She just had to ignore him, it was as simple as that.

“You do know that it’s quite rude to ignore people when they speak to you, right?” Murphy’s attention was fully on her now as he ignored Bellamy who was trying to get his attention.

Raven couldn’t do it. She turned her head slowly to look at him. “Maybe I don’t care if you think I’m rude. Did you ever think of that? Asshole.” She turned back to take another bite of her dinner.

“That’s not very nice, Raven. I’ve been trying to be polite all night because it’s Bellamy’s birthday and you just keep ignoring me. I’m hurt.”

“Good.” Raven slammed her hands onto the table as she stood up. “Happy birthday, Bellamy. I’m going to head down to Birdie’s.”

Raven gritted her teeth as she pushed back her chair and headed out of the room and into the hallway to the door that would lead her downstairs. The speakeasy wasn’t even open yet, but she knew that she couldn’t remain civil any longer so it was best that she just leave. There were always things that needed to be done at Birdie’s so she might as well get a head start. 

“I asked for one thing, Murphy. One thing.” Bellamy’s voice trailed down the hallway to Raven causing her to shake her head. 

“Raven, wait!” Emori called after her.

Raven didn’t stop, but she was moving slowly in an attempt to not limp so Emori caught up easily and was stepping in front of her in mere seconds. “What do you want?” Raven snapped and she didn’t mean to, but she was in so much pain and she’d already shown more restraint than usual with Murphy so she was at her wit’s end.

Emori’s face screwed up. “I had been planning on apologizing for John’s antagonizing you, but you know what? I’m not sorry. I think the two of you get off on it—the arguing.” She shakes her head. “I know the man I married, he’s not going to stop so you need to be the adult and let it go.”

Raven rolled her eyes and huffed. “I’m not going to just let him talk to me that way. You wouldn’t.”

“You don’t know anything about me. You’ve never _wanted_ to know anything about me. You’ve made assumptions about me and about John. You were never going to like us, you’d decided that before you’d ever even met us.” Emori shook her head, her jaw twitching as Raven guessed she was trying to keep her own anger under control. 

“I know all about the type of women that marry men like Murphy. Men who love to be in charge of women, because it’s the only way that they can feel better about themselves. And the women that marry them? They obviously do not think very highly of themselves.” Raven’s words were quiet as she eyed Emori. 

Emori shook her head. “As I said, you know nothing about me or John. You don’t know what we had to go through to get where we are. You don’t know what we go through every day so what right do you have to judge us? To judge _me_?”

Raven stepped up so that she was in Emori’s face. “And you don’t know what I’ve been through in my life, but you’ve let your husband tell me I was dressed like a whore. That I only run Birdie’s for attention like a _whore_ . Your husband has done everything _except_ actually come out and call me a whore. _That’s_ what gives me the right to judge him and you standing up for him? That’s what gives me the right to judge _you_. So why don’t you get the hell out of my way so that I can get to work?”

Instead of waiting for an answer, Raven stepped around her and continued on her way. She waited until the secret door closed behind her before she let the tears begin to fall. That was the one thing that she had been determined not to let either Murphy or Emori see—her tears. They couldn’t know that their words bit deep and how much they hurt her. 

She let out a scream, thankful for the soundproofing that they’d installed for Birdie’s as she rushed over to the bar, sweeping her arms across it and knocking the glasses to the floor. The breaking glass gave her satisfaction—the destruction of something when she was so angry and hurt. She knew that she’d have to clean it up, but at the moment she didn’t give a damn. She slid onto a stool, elbows on the bar as she laid her head in her hands and cried. 

* * *

Raven woke slowly, a warmth rushing through her body. Her back bowed off of the bed as a moan spilled from her lips, as an orgasm rushing through her. She collapsed back onto the bed, disoriented. A head appeared between her legs, grinning up at her. “Good morning, baby. Figured you could use a good wake up after last night.” He kissed her thigh softly. “I love you.”

“Murphy?!?!” Raven screeched as she launched herself out of the bed. What the hell was going on? She looked around as she scrambled across the room and she had no idea where she was. She glanced in the mirror as she passed it, coming to a halt while she stared at her reflection. The face staring back at her was _not_ her own. 

“Mori?” Murphy’s voice was soft and filled with confusion.

Raven continued to stare into the mirror as she realized that the face looking back at her was none other than Emori Murphy and her husband had just woken her up with his head between her legs. How was this possible? At least that explained why she had been able to walk across the room without her brace—seeing as she never wore it to bed. It’s because somehow, unbelievably, she wasn’t inside her own body. She grabbed the dress that was laid across the chair near the dresser and threw it over her head, dodging Murphy who was trying to wrap his arms around her.

“Babe? What’s wrong? Why did you call me Murphy?” He looked hurt as she ran across the room, throwing on shoes. “Where are you going?”

“I—uh…” Raven shook her head. “I have to go.” Without looking at him again she threw herself out the door and down the stairs, searching for the door. She reached for the door with her left hand and noticed for the first time the scars that ran from fingertips to almost the shoulder. How the hell had she never noticed scars on Emori before?

Raven threw the door open and bolted, running toward Griffin Manor. If she was in Emori’s body then maybe Emori was in hers and she’d have no way of knowing how to put Raven’s brace on. As she ran she cradled her left arm to her body. It didn’t hurt, but it was lacking some feeling in the fingers. As she ran she racked her mind, trying to figure out how she’d never noticed the scars and she realized that most of Emori’s dresses fully covered her left arm completely and that she always wore a glove. She hid her deformity from the world—something that Raven understood too well. 

She threw open the door to Griffin Manor, ignoring the strange looks from Bellamy and Miller as they were walked down the stairs. She ran up the stairs and headed straight for her room, thankful that she felt comfortable enough here to not lock her door as she threw it open. 

Staring at herself sitting on her bed in tears was a surreal experience. “Emori?”

Emori’s eyes shot up to her, growing wide as Raven assumed she realized that she was staring at herself. “What the hell is going on?”

“That’s something I’d like to know the answer to as well.” Murphy’s voice made Raven jump as he spoke directly over her shoulder.

“Shit!” Raven grabbed Murphy’s arm and dragged him into the room, closing the door behind them. She grabbed the brace off the bedside table where she’d left it the night before. “Here, this will help with the pain.”

Raven tried to quickly snap the brace onto Emori’s leg, but the fingers of her left hand didn’t respond the way that she expected them too. She glanced up at Emori, still shocked to see her own face staring back at her. “I”m sorry, I can’t do it. If I tell you what to do, can you do it?”

Emori nodded, fingers moving quickly as Raven walked her through the steps to lock the brace into place. Once it was in place Emori let out a sigh of relief before glancing back to Raven. “What happened?”

“To us?” She waved between the two of them before pointing to the brace. “Or there?”

“Both?” Emori threw her hands up in the air as her eyes met Murphy’s. “John?”

Murphy looked between the two of them, his confusion written all over his face. “I’m going to need the two of you to tell me what the hell is going on.”

“I’d love to tell you—if I knew.” Raven took a deep breath as she sat next to Emori. “Did the brace help the pain?”

Emori nodded. “It did.” She looked back to Murphy. “I’m Emori.”

“And _I’m_ Raven.” Raven would’ve laughed at the look on Murphy’s face if she wasn’t so lost as to how the hell this could even be possible.

“Did you two suddenly become friends and decide to screw with me?” Murphy’s eyes darted between the two of them as he came to stand at the end of the bed. 

“I wish that was the case.” Raven sighed as she turned her attention back to Emori. “What’s the last thing that you remember?”

“Going to bed with Murphy in _our_ house after we left Bellamy’s dinner and then I woke up here in agonizing pain. Honestly, I didn’t realize that I wasn’t in my own body until I saw you walk in the door—in my body.” Emori shook her head. “This can’t be real.” She gasped suddenly, grasping at her left leg. “Is the pain always this bad?”

Raven shrugged, not wanting to talk about it but knowing that she’d have to since Emori was currently having to deal with it. “It always hurts, but most days are manageable. I’ve been having more pain lately. I’m sorry.”

“You’re apologizing to _me_? You’re the one that has to deal with this every day!” Emori shook her head. “Do you have any idea how this happened?”

Raven shook her head. “No, I was exhausted last night because of the pain so I passed out as soon as my head hit the pillow. And then I woke up and-” Raven cut off as her face flushed and she began looking around the room, at anything that wasn’t Emori or Murphy.

“You woke up and what?” Emori questioned. She paused for a moment and then burst out laughing. “Oh my God. Murphy woke you up didn’t he?” Emori touched her arm lightly. “It’s okay. It’s not like he knew you weren’t me and he’s _very_ good at what he does, isn’t he?”

Raven guessed that it was the shock of her statement that had her meeting Emori’s eyes. Was she bragging about her husband’s skills in bed? Raven didn’t know how to begin to unpack that sentence. She could see the laughter in Emori’s eyes, but she could still see the pain them as well before she turned to Murphy. “John, are you all caught up yet?”

Murphy’s mouth had dropped open as he continued to look between them. “So you’re telling me that Raven is inside my wife’s body? And my wife is inside Raven’s body?” When they both nodded his eyes fell to Raven for a moment, a flash of something in his eyes that Raven couldn’t quite place before it was gone and he was smirking again. “So _did_ you enjoy this morning, Raven?”

“Jesus Christ!” Raven threw her hands in the air. “I don’t know how you can be married to him.”

“Yes, you can.” Emori was smirking at her as well. “I do assume that you enjoyed yourself this morning?”

“Of course she did!” Murphy laughed. “I was wondering why you were so quiet up until the end. You’re usually not. It makes sense if it wasn’t you.”

“Okay, can we _please_ stop talking about this morning?” Raven yelled, dropping her head into her hands. She could feel the heat in her face and knew that she had to be bright red.

Emori laughed quietly as she touched Raven’s arm. “I’m sorry. I was going to say that we didn’t mean to embarrass you, but that’s not true. But I am sorry for making you uncomfortable.” She paused for a moment. “I had no idea anything was wrong with your leg. You always seem so strong.”

“Yeah, why hide it?” Murphy chimed in.

“Because people look at you differently when they find out that there’s something wrong with you.” Raven’s eyes met Emori’s again. “As I’m sure you know.” She held up her left arm. “It took me almost the entire run over here to realize why I’ve never seen this before. It’s always covered.”

“Yeah.” Emori’s face sobered. “I was caught in a fire when I was young. My arm got pinned. By the time they got me out, it was covered in burns. I learned early to cover it.”

Raven ran her hand over the arm and nodded. “I’m sorry that happened to you.” She glanced over at Murphy as he settled onto the end of the bed. “I was hit by an automobile that lost control when I was 18. They said I’d never walk again, but I refused to believe that. So I built the brace and figured out how to walk again. Finn helped and that made it easier.”

“Who’s Finn?” Emori’s voice was quiet as her hand gripped Raven’s arm tighter.

“He’s the asshole that left me at the altar because he didn’t want to be tied to a cripple for the rest of his life.” Raven’s voice was bitter as she recalled the day that had left her more broken than almost never walking again. “His words, not mine. But his decision led me to move to Arkadia so I guess it worked out for the best.”

“You’re not a cripple.” Murphy’s hand landed on her leg, hesitantly. 

“Can I let you in on a little secret, Raven?” Emori leaned over and waited until Raven met her eyes before speaking again. “I’ve always thought that you were one of the strongest women that I’d ever met and this just confirms it.”

Raven didn’t know how to react to this situation. She was inside another person’s body and the two people that she had been fighting with for months were being _nice_. Once again the only word she could think of to describe her situation was surreal. Instead of replying, she stood up, watching as both of their hands fell to the bed. “We need to figure out how to fix this.”

Emori raised her eyebrows as she watched Raven pace the room. “And how to suggest we do that when we have no idea how it happened in the first place?”

“I have no idea!” Raven yelled as she knocked a bottle of perfume off of her dresser, watching as it bounced unharmed to the carpet. Damn it, she’d been hoping that it would break. She always felt better when things broke when she was overwhelmed. “Maybe we should tell the others? Maybe they’ll have some idea of what is going on?”

“You want to tell our friends that you guys woke up in one another’s bodies? They might lock you in the looney bin.” Murphy sighed as he leaned back in the bed, watching Raven.

“They won’t. Clarke will believe me.”

“You’re sure about that?” This time it was Emori who questioned her.

Raven nodded her head. That was the only thing that she was sure of right now—Clarke would believe her. “Yes.”

Emori considered her for a moment before she slowly nodded. “If you’re sure that she’ll believe you then we’ll tell them. Maybe with more heads, we can figure this out.”

“I swear that if they try to lock the two of you up, I’m going to let them.” Murphy shook his head. “I warned you so it’s on you if that happens.”

“Real nice, John.” Emori shook her head. “Raven, I’m going to need help getting dressed with this brace I think.”

“I’ll help,” Murphy smirked.

“No, you won’t. Get out.” Raven didn’t even turn to look at him as she ordered him out. “You are not going to see my body naked.”

“But my wife’s inside your body—ouch!” 

Raven turned around to see Murphy bent over, holding onto his crotch. Emori sat on the edge of the bed, right foot swinging, and a smirk on her face. “Raven said to get out. We’ll meet you downstairs.”

Without another word, Murphy limped out of the room and Raven turned back to the odd task of dressing Emori in _her_ body.

* * *

Raven took a deep breath before calling out, “You can come in now.”

Raven had been right—Clarke had believed her. It had taken the rest of their friends longer to believe them, but eventually, they all had. Unfortunately, no one had ever heard of anything like this happening before and they hadn’t been able to figure out how to fix it. Which is how she was now standing in Murphy and Emori’s room having just pulled on one of Emori’s dresses—a dark blue number that looked amazing against her skin color. She had helped Emori get ready, helping her dress because she knew how hard it could be when she was in that much pain. Then she’d followed Murphy across town to the brothel. 

Murphy pushed the door open, his face free of the smirk that she was so used to seeing. “You good?”

Raven nodded. “Does this look okay?”

“Of course it does. My wife has wonderful taste and looks good in everything.” The smile on Murphy’s face was soft and so unlike anything that Raven had ever seen on him before. It was unsettling as much of the day had already been.

Raven turned her back, finding it easier to not be looking at him while he was acting this way. “I wasn’t sure where she kept her gloves.”

Suddenly Murphy was right behind her, brushing against her back as he reached around her to open a drawer to reveal a large selection of gloves. “These are the ones that she wears when she’s only wearing one.” His breath is hot on Raven’s neck and she couldn’t stop the shiver that ran down her back. “The white one will look good with that dress.” His lips brushed the shell of Raven’s ear and suddenly she couldn’t breathe.

What the hell was wrong with her? Was she only reacting this way because she was in Emori’s body? She snatched the white glove from the drawer and stepped away from him as she pulled it on. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Murphy was back to smirking at her and she was sure that he’d realized how she’d reacted to his closeness. Damn him. “Don’t forget to call me John. Or just don’t use my name at all. Emori has never called me Murphy.”

Raven steeled herself as she nodded. She could do this. When Murphy held his arm out to her she silently slid hers through it, allowing him to lead her from the room and down the stairs.

“And don’t forget to smile. You’re happy to be here.”

Riiiight, she was sooooo happy to be there. But regardless of her thoughts, she forced herself to smile, hoping that it didn’t look as forced as it felt. “I’ll be fine, Murph-John. I promise.”

“I know you will be,” Murphy whispered in her ear as they reached the bottom of the stairs. His lips brushed her cheek before he was leading her down the hall to the secret door that led to their speakeasy.

Raven could feel herself flush as she forced herself not to reach up and touch her cheek. Her skin burned where his lips had touched her skin and she was thankful for the distraction of the speakeasy so that she didn’t have to think about what that meant. Once they reached the bottom of the stairs Raven looked around, this being her first time there. It was nowhere near as elegant as Birdie’s and the only women there besides herself were the women that worked at the brothel. The clientele was completely male which made sense given where they were and they were all working on getting as drunk as possible, as quickly as possible.

Murphy pulled his arm from hers, choosing to drop his hand to her lower back as he led her across the room. His lips brushed her ear again as he spoke quietly so that no one would overhear them. “Emori usually works behind the bar. I assume you can pour drinks.”

“Of course I can!” Raven turned her head to look at him, forgetting how close he was to her. Their lips were close enough that if either of them moved at all they would meet. Shit. Her body felt like it was on fire. She quickly turned to face forward again. “I’ll be fine.”

Murphy didn’t say anything as he lifted the bar flap and gestured for her to step behind the bar. She nodded her thanks and as soon as she was behind the bar he dropped it. “I’ll be around if you need anything.” He turned to walk away.

“John,” she called quietly, not fully comfortable calling him by his given name. When he turned to face her again she gave him a small smile. “Thank you.”

Murphy’s smile was genuine as he nodded before heading toward a table where three men sat laughing. Soon the place was packed and Raven lost herself in pouring moonshine for the customers and wiping down the bar when there was a break between people. She didn’t talk to the men much, unsure of how Emori would respond to situations and not wanting to tip anyone off that something was wrong. 

It was close to midnight, which was when Murphy had told her that they would shut down, when a tall very drunk man with brown hair a few older than her leaned against the bar and leered down at her. He isn’t the first man who had leered at her that night and it wasn’t that she hadn’t been leered at before, but this was different. The desire was clear in his eyes and he didn’t care if she knew—didn’t care that her “husband” was just feet away.

“Murphy!” The man called out, getting Murphy and a handful of others’ attention. “So when are you going to get tired of this whore that you call a wife and put her back on the menu?” He raised his eyebrows at Raven as he sneered. “I do remember having a _very_ good time with her.”

Raven felt tears rise and fought to push them down. She had never had anyone speak to her this way and she knew that there was no way that Emori would just take it, but she was frozen. She didn’t know what to say or how to react as she just stood there.

Suddenly Murphy was there, his fist slamming into the man’s face and he hit the floor—hard. Raven pushed up the flap and hurried around the bar to find Murphy pinning the man to the ground, punching him over and over in the face.

Suddenly he stopped, lifting the man up by his shirt so that their faces were close together. “That’s strike three, Dax. You’re done. Never come back here or I will _kill_ you. Do you understand?” He shook Dax when he didn’t respond fast enough. When Dax finally nodded Murphy dropped him, Dax’s head bouncing off of the floor again. “Everyone out!” When no one moved he screamed, “Out!”

Everyone filed out quickly after that and soon it was just Raven and Murphy. Raven had stood frozen next to the bar as Murphy leaned against the wall, taking deep breaths. She didn’t know what to do. He didn’t turn around as he spoke, “So now you know Emori’s other secret. She was a prostitute.”

Raven didn’t think about what she was doing as her feet carried her forward or when she laid her hand lightly on his back. He turned to look at her over his shoulder and the anger that she had seen when he was beating Dax wasn’t there anymore. When his eyes met hers all she saw was pain and pleading. “Please don’t use this against her. She’s worked so hard to make sure that the others don’t know. I don’t want them to look at her differently.”

Raven shook her head. “I would never.” She paused, knowing that she was giving him something that he could use against her. But she felt like she owed it to him now that she knew about Emori. “My mom was a prostitute. I know sometimes women have no choice if they want to survive. I would never judge that and it’s not my place to tell anyone else.”

“But you’ll judge me for owning a brothel?” Murphy laughed as he turned around to fully face her.

“It’s different.” Raven shook her head. “You’re profiting off of what desperate women are having to do to survive. That’s hard for me to understand.”

“Do you know _why_ we own the brothel, Raven?” Murphy raised his eyebrows and when she shook his head he nodded. “That’s because you never asked. We bought this place after we got married. I promised Emori that she would never have to do that again and this way we could make sure that the girls were safe. We might not be able to keep them all safe, but we can keep the girls here in Arkadia safe. We don’t make money off of them except their rent and obviously the money we make down here.”

Shame threatened to overwhelm Raven. She had judged them without having all of the information. They’d had no way to know that her mother had worked at a brothel and that had soured her against how she viewed them from a young age. She hadn’t been fair and she knew it. “I’m sorry.” 

Murphy nodded. “I didn’t make it any better, I know that. I’m sorry too.” He reached up to push the hair from her face before his hand dropped down to stroke her cheek. “I just want Emori to feel safe and loved and in control. That’s the _only_ reason we own this place.”

Raven felt herself drifting closer to him, leaning into his touch. “You’re not who I thought you were, John Murphy.”

Murphy’s eyes fell shut. “I’m not sure that I’m comfortable with you wearing my wife’s face, Raven.”

“It’s not exactly comfortable for me either.” Raven laughed. 

“Look, I’m sorry about this morning. Obviously I had no way of knowing that you weren’t Emori.” Murphy’s eyes opened to meet hers once again.

Raven could feel the blush rising, but she refused to look away. “Obviously not. And I can’t say that I altogether minded too much. It’s been a long time since I’ve been with someone else and not just by myself.”

“Oh, that’s a shame, Raven. An absolute shame.” Murphy’s eyes fell to her lips and Raven was finding it hard to breathe. Her eyes darted to Murphy’s own lips as his tongue swiped out to wet them. Her eyes were wide when they met his again and she could read the desire there. This couldn’t happen. She knew that, but everything in her wanted it to happen. 

“Well, well, well. What do we have here?” A voice startled Raven, causing her to jerk away from Murphy. She turned to find Emori standing there. 

Raven forced out a laugh as she took in the black dress that Emori wore. “Damn, I didn’t realize just how good that dress looked on me.”

Emori glanced down, running her hands down her sides. “Oh, I _definitely_ noticed.” She was smiling when she looked back up at Raven before her eyes slid to Murphy. “I see the two of you are getting along better now.” 

Raven glanced behind her at Murphy, realizing just how close they were still standing. She started to step away, stopping when Murphy’s hand landed on her waist and pulled her back to stand in front of him. 

Emori began to walk toward them, shaking her head. “That’s a good thing, Raven.” 

Soon she was standing in front of Raven and Raven had to look up slightly. She hadn’t realized that she was taller than Emori until that moment, but she guessed that they hadn’t ever stood this closely together before when they weren’t fighting. “Yeah, we uh—we figured out that I was being a judgemental bitch without knowing the full story. I let my past color how I viewed the two of you. I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry too, Raven.” Emori laughed. “I was jealous of you. That voice and this body. I mean I thought you were perfect.” Emori paused again. “I’ll say it again, you’re one of the strongest women I know, dealing with this pain all the time. I don’t know that I could do it.”

“You could.” Raven didn’t even hesitate, the words were out of her mouth before she had even thought about them. 

Emori smiled as she stepped closer to Raven, reaching out to run a hand down her arm. “Maybe we can let bygones be bygones?”

Raven was shocked at the heat that she felt rising in her at Emori’s touch. She glanced down at where Emori’s hand was still on her arm as Murphy stepped closer, his front now flush against her back. She couldn’t breathe, let alone talk as sensations ran through her, something that she hadn’t really felt since Finn. Where the hell had this come from? Her eyes met Emori’s again and she saw her own desire reflected back to her. 

“I bet John didn’t tell you the reason he was so rude to you, did he?” Emori glanced over Raven’s shoulder to look at Murphy for a moment before looking back to Raven. “He was attracted to you. Hell, so was I.” She glanced down at the body she was currently inhabiting. “I mean, how could we not? Look at you.”

Raven felt lightheaded and she knew that her face was bright red. Never before had anyone spoken so blatantly to her before about their attraction for her—and she liked it. Her mouth dropped open slightly as she tried to force herself to breathe.

“John never outgrew that childish habit of being mean to the girl that he likes.” Emori laughed. “You should’ve seen how he treated me when we first met. But what else can you expect from an asshole.” She smiled fondly, but her eyes never left Raven’s. 

And then Emori’s lips were on Raven’s and she froze. She couldn’t think, couldn’t move. She was in shock. She knew that she needed to do something and she wasn’t to respond, but it’s like the ability to move had been taken from her. When Emori started to pull away from her Raven was finally able to react, her hands flying up to grasp Emori’s face and pull her back to her. This time she led the kiss, brushing her tongue against Emori’s lips. And they were the softest lips she has ever felt under her own. Maybe that’s because she’d never kissed another woman before—she’d had no way of knowing what she was missing. And then she realized that those were _her_ lips that were so soft and what an odd sensation that was. She heard Murphy’s low laughter at her ear just as her tongue brushed against Emori’s. She could feel him growing hard against her back and it was unlike anything she’d ever felt before. Being between the two of them, both of their hands on her body. It was amazing.

She whined a little when Emori pulled away from her lips and she would have been embarrassed if not for the dazed look on Emori’s face. Before she could process that, Murphy turned her head and his lips were on hers. His lips weren’t quite as soft as Emori’s, but they were softer than she’d thought they’d be—not that she’d ever thought about what his lips would feel like before. His kiss was more aggressive and Raven felt herself melt against him as he deepened the kiss.

“In case you didn't figure it out, we like you, Raven.” Emori’s voice was soft as she spoke right next to her ear. 

Raven broke the kiss to turn to Emori. “What does that mean?”

Emori shrugged and it looked weird in Raven’s body. That wasn’t the way that she shrugged and it was crazy that she was thinking about that right now. “We both want you—if you want us.”

Raven felt her entire body flush and she knew that it wasn’t just from embarrassment, but also from desire. She didn’t know what to do with those words or with her own feelings. She’d never consider herself a prude, but what Emori was proposing? It was nothing that she had ever considered before. 

Murphy’s hand was gentle on her chin as he turned her face to look at him. “We’re not just talking about sex, in case you were wondering.”

“But that’s—” Raven cut herself off as she began to laugh nervously. This was ridiculous. She was a grown-ass woman. Why was she allowing herself to be uncomfortable with a conversation about sex and that was when it hit her. It was because it wasn’t just a conversation about sex. It was a conversation about being in a relationship with not just a man _and_ a woman, but a married couple. 

“But that’s what?” Murphy taunted her as he lifted an eyebrow. “Wrong?”

Raven shrugged, glancing back at Emori. “Isn’t it? You’re married.”

“If it works for _both_ of us, how can that be wrong?” Emori smiled. “It would be different if it was just one of us, but it’s both of us and we’re okay with it. But the real question is, are you?”

Raven wanted this, deep in her bones, she could feel it. She’d never wanted anything more in her life, but there was something holding her back. She was afraid—afraid to admit that this was what she wanted. “I don’t know.”

“That’s okay, Raven.” Murphy nuzzled her neck. “It’s okay that you don’t know. We understand. We’ve already had this conversation and we kind of just threw it at you.”

Emori laid her hand on Raven’s cheek, meeting her eyes again. “We won’t pressure you into anything you’re not ready for or that you don’t want. But if we didn’t tell you, then how would you know how we felt?”

Raven understood and she wanted to say yes, but she just wasn’t sure if this was something that she _could_ do—even if it was something that she _wanted_ to do. And she didn’t want to say yes without knowing. That wouldn’t be fair to any of them. “Until we figure out how to fix this—” Raven waved back and forth between herself and Emori. “I can’t even think about this.”

“You’re right.” Emori nodded, stepping back. “We need to figure this out first.”

Murphy dragged his nose against Raven’s neck before stepping back reluctantly, sighing. “Yeah, that’s priority number one.”

Raven knew that she should be happy that they’d agreed with her, but all she felt was disappointment.

* * *

Raven had followed Murphy and Emori upstairs to their room as they’d tried to figure out what to do about sleeping arrangements. Obviously Raven had to stay there with Murphy because there was no way that Emori wouldn’t be sleeping beside her husband. Emori had offered to go back to the Griffin Manor, but Raven had been quick to turn down that idea. She didn’t want Emori to not get to sleep in her own bed—even if she was in Raven’s body. 

Now she sat in the chair beside the dresser having already changed into a set of Emori’s sleeping clothes. Emori had changed while she had so that Murphy wouldn’t be tempted to sneak a peek. Raven had averted her eyes while Murphy had changed, but she had been tempted to look. The flashes of skin that she had seen had sent her temperature sky high and she was still trying to calm down. “I can just sleep in the chair.”

“You’re not sleeping in the chair, Raven.” Murphy sighed as he looked over at her. “Look, we’re all adults. We can share a bed. I’ll keep my hands to myself, I promise.”

Raven looked between him and Emori for a moment as she considered. Sleeping in the same bed as the both of them? Well, at least it would give her an idea of what they were offering to her. She shrugged. “You’re right.”

Murphy nodded, going over to the side of the bed and climbing in. “Who’s getting the middle because it’s going to be awkward either way.”

“Raven’s in the middle,” Emori was quick to say—leaving no room for argument.

And did she really want to argue? No, she really didn’t. She walked over to the bed slowly, eyeing where Murphy was already getting comfortable. They would be sleeping closely, they would have to if they were all going to fit. It had been a long time since she’d shared a bed with anyone and honestly, she was looking forward to it. There was something nice about being that close to someone while she slept. She climbed in before looking to Emori. “Do you need help with the brace?”

Emori shook her head as she sat down on the edge of the bed. “No, I’ve got it. I remember how you told me to put it on.”

“Make sure to put it on the bedside table because tomorrow might be as bad as today and you’ll want to put it on first thing.” Raven tried to smile, but she couldn’t. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize about something that you have to deal with every day.” Emori looked over her shoulder to meet her eyes. “Lay down, Raven.”

Raven felt herself flush, knowing that Emori had caught onto her stalling tactic. She settled back into the bed, trying not to touch Murphy who was lying on his side facing her. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to touch him—it was that she didn’t feel like she had the right. 

Murphy must’ve read her hesitation on her face because he laughed quietly before lifting his arm. “Come here, Raven.”

Raven hesitated for another moment, glancing at Emori who was already climbing into the bed. When she nodded Raven rolled onto her side and fit her back to Murphy’s front. His hand came down on the outside of her thigh before gliding up her side until his arm was wrapped around her stomach.

“Is this okay?” Murphy’s voice was quiet, his breath warm on her neck.

Raven nodded. “Yes.”

“Good.” He pulled her more snuggly against him and Raven felt warm, but not from desire this time. This time it was comfort and safety that she felt. 

Emori settled onto her side facing Raven, reaching over to stroke her face. “We’ll figure this out Raven and then we’ll figure _this_ ,” she gestured between the three of them, “out. Don’t worry about it, okay?”

“Okay.” Raven nodded as Emori settled in and pulled the covers over all of them. One of Emori’s hands laid upon her hip while the other twined with Murphy’s over her stomach. Raven had been worried that it would be hard to sleep in this bed that wasn’t her own, surrounded by two people that she’d never slept beside before, but even as her eyes fell shut she could feel herself drifting off.

* * *

Raven woke slowly to hushed voices. She took a deep breath before opening her eyes, blinking against the bright light shining through the curtains. She looked around the room, remembering where she was and why. Her eyes landed on Murphy and Emori where they sat at the small table, talking and she smiled. Emori was in her body again. Raven sat up quickly, glancing down, and realized that she was, in fac,t back in her own body.

“I was beginning to think you were going to sleep all day.” Murphy leaned back in his chair, a lazy smirk on his face as he watched her.

“What time is it?” Raven glanced around looking for a clock.

“It’s only a little after 10. It’s not that late.” Emori smiled at her. “How are you feeling?”

Raven nodded slowly as she looked between the two. “Good. My leg isn’t bad this morning. Everything else feels normal. How about you?”

“Back to normal.” Emori bit down on her lip and Raven saw her desire again even as she tried to hide it. 

She wanted to know what it felt like to kiss them in her own body, what they felt like under her own hands. And with that, she knew that she’d already made her decision. She wanted them. She didn’t care what anyone else thought. They could make her happy and she was sure that she could make them happy too. To hell with the rest of the world. “I want to try.”

Murphy sat up, glancing at Emori. “Try what?”

“This. Whatever this is, I want to try it.” Raven swallowed around the lump in her throat as Emori and Murphy stood, slowly making their way toward the bed. “I can’t make any promises because this is all new to me, but I want it. I want _you_. Both of you.”

Murphy sat on one side of her, Emori on the other. Emori moved slowly as she took Raven’s face into hands—not bothering to hide her scarred hand from her any longer. “That’s fine, Raven. This is new to us too.” She leaned over, brushing her lips against Raven’s.

Raven let out a sigh of relief as she leaned forward to deepen the kiss. Kissing Emori in her own body was even better than the kiss the night before. She felt Murphy’s hands on her waist as she kissed Emori and it was comforting to know that he was there. When she pulled away and turned to Murphy he was less patient than Emori—more demanding. And it was everything she could’ve wanted. As Murphy laid her back onto the bed she knew that she couldn’t see the future—there was no way to know for sure what would happen with the three of them, but she had never been happier or more excited about anything before. The three of them together could be good, it could be more than good and she couldn’t wait to see where it went.


End file.
